Scored Today!!!

After yet another visit to the local DHS office to further verify how little income and assets we really have, it was refreshing and empowering to score a truck load of STUFF at a local business.

We were at a garage door company in search of instructions for the door we bought on Craigslist. A nice young man there took time to caution Sweetie about a few things regarding the safety cable and spring tension coils. Thankfully, Sweetie asked if their company had a dumpster where they scrap old doors, etc. The guys eyes lit up and he said, "Take anything you want; it's less expense for us."

WOW! If we'd had another truck, we would have really made a haul. As it is, we came home with three more pallets for stacking firewood in the garage; five insulated garage door panels; extra hinges, rollers and a locking mechanism (we can't afford an automatic opener); and more! Stacked on top of the company's dumpster were two perfectly good gas cans; a box of black plastic garbage bags; a 3x5 foot piece of sheet metal; and two plastic outdoor chairs in great condition.

This was our monthly shopping trip so we were already loaded down,but believe me we re-arranged things. Our 7x18 foot garage door is being constructed in a 9x18 foot opening. Now Sweetie will butt together two of the nine foot panels to make the 18 foot panel. I'll paint it brown to match the other panels and it should work just fine.

If more folks took the time to be frugal and ingenious, the landfills would be less congested. For example, a couple weeks ago when we hauled a load of twisted metal, broken glass and other trash from this land to the transfer station. Sitting on top of one of their open trucks was a black metal shelving unit. We asked if we could have it but of course the answer was no. Some BS about liability if we climbed up there and none of the workers were willing to. The waste!!! A perfectly good shelving unit; not bent or rusted or missing pieces but headed for the landfill anyway. The waste in this country disgusts me.

And then our Country Lines Rural Electric magazine came today and there's a story about a man in Rapid River, Michigan making art out of cast off car parts, etc. So people throw stuff away and other people repurpose it and make money. Maybe I should try that.

Well, time for an afternoon siesta. It's 80 degrees here but we have a little lake breeze to keep the humidity bearable. Have a great day everyone and thanks for your comments, Treesong